Broderick Crawford, Oscar Winner in 1949, Dies at 74 - latimes YOU ARE HERE: LAT Home → Collections Broderick Crawford, Oscar Winner in 1949, Dies at 74 April 27, 1986 |JERRY COHEN | Times Staff Writer Broderick Crawford, who won an Academy Award as best actor of 1949 for his role as a ruthless, scheming Southern political boss in "All the King's Men" but was better-known to recent generations as the beefy chief of television's "Highway Patrol," died Saturday at Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs. Crawford, 74, had suffered a series of strokes after one at a 1984 New Year's Eve party. He had been hospitalized at the medical center since earlier this month. The gravel-voiced Crawford was comparatively unknown to film audiences at the time that he was chosen to portray the uncouth but guileful Willie Stark in the film version of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. He attracted rave reviews for his performance in what Life magazine called the "most exciting film to come out of Hollywood" that year.

The movie, too, won an Academy Award as the best film of 1949. Crawford had made numerous films before "King's Men" and continued to make countless others afterwards, but he never again matched the critical acclaim he achieved in that movie, based loosely on the life of Huey Long, the populist governor of Louisiana and briefly a U.S. senator who was assassinated in 1935 in Baton Rouge. However, Crawford's greatest popularity came not as a film actor but as a television performer. From 1957 to 1967, he played the fast-talking Sgt. Dan Matthews in "Highway Patrol." He later made two other television series, neither of which had the impact of the one in which his trademark was the expression "Ten-Four, Ten-Four," which in police talk means, "I understand." He was born William Broderick Crawford in Philadelphia, heir to an impressive theatrical tradition. His mother was the comedienne Helen Broderick, who first starred on the Broadway stage and later in films. His father, Lester Crawford, had a long career in vaudeville and sometimes toured with his wife as Broderick and Crawford. His maternal grandparents were singers.

His parents did not raise their husky son to be an actor, even though he had a desultory grammar school education because he toured with one or the other--or both. Sent to Prep School Rather, the Crawfords sent the boy to a New England prep school, where he won letters in football and baseball and captained the swimming team. But upon his graduation, he joined his parents on a vaudeville tour and played minor parts in various sketches. They insisted, however, that he resume his education. He enrolled at Harvard--where he remained for three weeks until he decided that he was not suited to the academic life. He moved to New York City, where he worked for a time as a stevedore, then spent about seven months as an able-bodied seaman aboard a tanker before obtaining occasional parts in radio dramas.

After that he turned to the stage, where he had some minor successes before obtaining a role that presaged the film celebrity that he would enjoy a dozen years later after the filming of "All the King's Men." He created the role of the dimwitted Lennie in the 1937 theatrical version of John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men." The role in the film version of that drama went to Lon Chaney Jr., but Crawford moved to Hollywood anyway and played tough-guy roles in a series of B pictures and Westerns before joining the Army in 1942 and serving overseas as a sergeant for 18 months, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. After World War II, he returned to Hollywood and was active in much the same kind of films that he had made before joining the Army. When director-producer Robert Rosen was looking for an actor to play Willie Stark, he did not want a big box office star. He opted for the powerfully built, raspy-voiced Crawford, who helped prepare for the part by studying newsreels and still photographs of Huey Long. "All the King's Men" and its principals received more than 30 awards, including the Academy Awards.

Mercedes McCambridge, a radio actress in her first movie role, won an Oscar as best supporting actress. Appeared in 'Born Yesterday' Crawford followed that performance with a radical change of pace as the corrupt junk dealer opposite Judy Holliday in the 1950 comedy "Born Yesterday," reverting to type as a tough in "The Mob" in 1951. His film career drifted, and he was out of the spotlight until "Highway Patrol," one of TV's most popular syndicated programs. Crawford was the only regular character in those 156 episodes in which an array of crooks were captured, usually after a long chase. He also starred in two other series, "King of Diamonds" and "The Interns." For most of the 1960s Crawford worked in Europe in a succession of low-budget Western and adventure pictures. Crawford married singer Kay Griffith in 1940. They were divorced in 1958, and she was granted custody of their two sons, Chris and Kelly. Crawford married twice after that. Medical center officials said Chris and Kelly were with their father when he died.

They said Kay Crawford and his current wife, Mary, were at the hospital. Funeral services were pending.

MORE: 1949 Academy Awards® Winners and History A Letter to Three Wives (1949) Twelve O'Clock High (1949) Actor: BRODERICK CRAWFORD in "All the King's Men" , Kirk Douglas in "Champion", Gregory Peck in "Twelve O'Clock High", Richard Todd in "The Hasty Heart", John Wayne in "Sands of Iwo Jima" Actress: OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND in "The Heiress", Jeanne Crain in "Pinky", Susan Hayward in "My Foolish Heart", Deborah Kerr in "Edward, My Son", Loretta Young in "Come to the Stable" Supporting Actor: DEAN JAGGER in "Twelve O'Clock High", John Ireland in "All the King's Men" , Arthur Kennedy in "Champion", Ralph Richardson in "The Heiress", James Whitmore in "Battleground" Supporting Actress: MERCEDES MCCAMBRIDGE in "All the King's Men" , Ethel Barrymore in "Pinky", Celeste Holm in "Come to the Stable", Elsa Lanchester in "Come to the Stable", Ethel Waters in

 "Pinky" Director: JOSEPH L.

MANKIEWICZ for "A Letter to Three Wives", Carol Reed for "The Fallen Idol", Robert Rossen for "All the King's Men" , William A. Wellman for "Battleground", William Wyler for "The Heiress" In 1949, the Best Picture Award was presented to the predicted front-runner film, All the King's Men , based on the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by poet Robert Penn Warren about a corrupt, rising politician/boss (based on the life of assassinated Louisiana demagogue Senator Huey Long). It was the second Best Picture-winning film that was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (the first was Gone With the Wind (1939) ). The absorbing political drama about the dangers of a populist dictatorship in the US was nominated for seven major award nominations and won in only three categories (Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress). It was director/producer/writer Robert Rossen's third film (his previous films were the acclaimed drama Body and Soul (1947) and Johnny O'Clock (1947)). Other Best Picture nominees included a number of other serious films: director William A.

Wellman's Battleground (with six nominations and two wins - Best Story/Screenplay, and Best B/W Cinematography) - an excellent Battle of the Bulge war film that followed a platoon of American soldiers. [Wellman had directed another war film - Wings (1927/8), the first Best Picture winner.] director William Wyler's dramatic adaptation of the Henry James novel Washington Square, The Heiress (with eight nominations and four wins - Best Actress, Best B/W Art/Set Decoration, Best Dramatic Score, and Best B/W Costume Design) about a 'plain Jane' heiress, her tyrannical father and a fortune-hunting, greedy scoundrel/suitor a second war film - a psychological drama of the heroic 8th Air Force and the strains of World War II warfare directed by Henry King - Twelve O'Clock High (with four nominations and two wins - Best Supporting Actor and Best Sound Recording) the Best Director winning picture - screenwriter/director Joseph L.

Mankiewicz' sophisticated and satirical examination of surburban life and marriage, A Letter to Three Wives (with three nominations and two wins - Best Director and Best Screenplay) about three female friends who each receive a confessional letter about a possible unfaithful husband (without specifically identifying the local man) The Best Picture nominees split the nominations and wins fairly evenly. No film had fewer than three nominations and no film had more than eight. Every one of the nominees won multiple Oscars, something that had never happened before and has never happened since. Relative unknown B-movie actor Broderick Crawford (with his sole career nomination - and sole win) was nominated for Best Actor and won for his role as bullying, self-styled Southern populist demagogue Willie Stark (who starts out as a small-town, backwoods politician/lawyer and eventually loses his principles and becomes corrupted and Fascist-minded on his progression to the governorship, before his assassination). His performance propelled him into lead roles, notably George Cukor's Born Yesterday (1950) and Federico Fellini's Il Bidone (1955).

(He also went on to star in the TV series Highway Patrol (1955-1959).) Other Best Actor nominees included: Gregory Peck (with his fourth non-winning nomination in the 1940s) for his role as bomber-group commander General Frank Savage who breaks under the pressure in Twelve O'Clock High Kirk Douglas (with his first of three unsuccessful career nominations) was also nominated as Best Actor for his star-making role as ruthless prizefighter Midge Kelly in director Mark Robson's version of Ring Lardner's story Champion (with six nominations and one win - Best Film Editing). [Douglas' other two future nominations were for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and Lust for Life (1956) - he would never win an Oscar!] Richard Todd (with his sole career nomination) as the terminally ill "The Scot" in director Vincent Sherman's The Hasty Heart (the film's sole nomination) John Wayne (with his first of two career acting nominations) as tough WW II Marine Sgt. John M.

Stryker in director Allan Dwan's Sands of Iwo Jima (with four nominations and no wins) Director Elia Kazan's Pinky, another daring social problems drama in the 1940s about a black woman who passed as white to gain a better life, was honored with three acting nominations for all three of its female actresses. It was one of the earliest nominated films about inter-racial relations (one of the earliest was Imitation of Life (1934)). 33 year-old Olivia de Havilland (with her fifth and final career nomination - and winning her second Oscar) won the Best Actress Oscar for her brilliant performance as Catherine Sloper in The Heiress. The stunningly-beautiful actress portrayed a plain, frumpy, vulnerable, spinster heiress courted by a fortune-hunter Morris Townsend (played by Montgomery Clift). After hearing from her father Ralph Richardson that her eligible bachelor/lover was interested only in her money, she eventually took bitter revenge upon Clift in the final scene. [Trivia Note: At 33 years of age, Olivia de Havilland became the youngest performer to receive five acting nominations.

This record wasn't surpassed for 57 years -- until 31 year old Kate Winslet received her fifth acting nomination for Little Children (2006).] Other Best Actress nominees were: Jeanne Crain (with her sole career nomination) as light-skinned black nurse Pinky/Patricia Johnson (co-star Ethel Waters' grand-daughter) trying to pass for white in Pinky (with three nominations and no wins) Susan Hayward (with her second nomination) as unmarried mother Eloise Winters in director Mark Robson's My Foolish Heart (with two nominations and no wins) Deborah Kerr (with her first of a career total of six unsuccessful nominations) as Evelyn Boult in director George Cukor's Edward My Son (the film's sole nomination) Loretta Young (with her second and final career nomination) as French nun Sister Margaret who raises funds to build a children's hospital in New England in director Henry Koster's Come To the Stable (with seven nominations and no wins) Bald character actor Dean Jagger (with his sole career nomination - and Oscar win) won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Major Harvey Stovall - a middle-aged commanding major in the air force who witnesses the strain upon flying

 leader Gregory Peck in the all-male cast of Twelve O'Clock High.

Other Best Supporting Actor nominees included: Arthur Kennedy (with his first of five unsuccessful career nominations) was nominated for his role as co-star Kirk Douglas' crippled brother Connie Kelly in Champion James Whitmore (with his first of two unsuccessful career nominations in only his second film) as tough platoon Sergeant Kinnie in Battleground John Ireland (with his sole career nomination) as reporter Jack Burden in All the King's Men Ralph Richardson (with his first of two unsuccessful career nominations) as Olivia de Havilland's emotionally abusive, domineering father Dr. Austin Sloper in The Heiress Broderick Crawford's co-star was Best Supporting Actress winner Mercedes McCambridge (with her first nomination and sole Oscar win in her 17-minute debut film role) who played the part of his conniving, tough, and unscrupulous political aide and sexually-frustrated secretary-mistress Sadie Burke.

[In future years, McCambridge would star in some off-beat cult films, Johnny Guitar (1954) and Orson Welles' Touch Of Evil (1958) , and as the voice of the demonically-possessed Linda Blair in The Exorcist (1973) .] The other Best Supporting Actress nominees included two sets of co-stars: Ethel Barrymore (with her fourth and last career nomination) as as old Southern matriarch Miss Em in Pinky Ethel Waters (with her sole career nomination) as Granny Dysey (Pinky's benign grandmother) in Pinky [Waters was the first black actress to be nominated for an Oscar since Hattie McDaniels' nomination and win in Gone With The Wind (1939) ten years earlier.

Waters was not nominated for her earlier memorable performance in Cabin in the Sky (1943).] Celeste Holm (with her second career nomination) as tennis-playing French nun Sister Scolastica in Come to the Stable Elsa Lanchester (with her first nomination) as religious artist Miss Potts in Come to the Stable Famous composer Aaron Copland received his fourth nomination for a Dramatic Film Score (and only Oscar win) for The Heiress. For the same film, legendary costume designer Edith Head won the Best Black and White Costume Design Award, her first of eight career Oscars. She would win Best Costume Design honors seven more times, in 1950 (twice), in 1951, in 1953, in 1954, in 1960, and in 1973. [She would be nominated each year (and sometimes twice) from 1948 to 1966 for Costume Design - an unprecedented accomplishment!

By her final film Airport '77 (1977), she had a total of 35 nominations in the category.] Famed danceman Fred Astaire was presented with an Honorary Award (by Ginger Rogers) "for his unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures." In addition, legendary director Cecil B. DeMille was given a Special Award for "37 years of brilliant showmanship." Oscar Anomalies: Best Picture-winning director Robert Rossen, who was nominated in the Best Director category and Best Screenplay categories for All the King's Men , lost the Best Director and Screenplay races to Joseph L. Mankiewicz's A Letter to Three Wives, a biting but entertaining commentary on marriage and faithfulness in a carefully-constructed story about three wives.

Oscar Snubs and Omissions: Some of the year's best films and acting roles were largely un-nominated and bypassed by the Academy, including: Stanley Donen's and Gene Kelly's On the Town (with only one winning nomination for Best Score) Nicholas Ray's They Live By Night (un-nominated for any awards) director Raoul Walsh's White Heat (with one unsuccessful nomination for Best Story) with a spectacular performance by screen legend James Cagney as violent, mother-fixated gangster Cody Jarrett, noted for his final words as he blew himself up: "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" and the quintessential 'Bonnie-and-Clyde'-like film Gun Crazy (un-nominated for any awards) - an undervalued, yet definitive 'B' picture with its two leads John Dall and Peggy Cummins Clarence Brown's Intruder in the Dust was a superior racial conflict picture when compared to the absurd plot of Pinky, yet it was not nominated for a single award. One of the best foreign films ever made -- unrecognized by the Academy -- was this year's The Bicycle Thief by Italian director Vittorio De Sica.

It could easily have received a Best Picture or a Best Director nomination, but only achieved a Best Original Screenplay nomination (its sole, unrewarded nomination) for Cesare Zavattini. It was also honored with a Special Academy Award as the "most outstanding foreign film released in the United States during 1949" - many years before an official category was created. [The film served as the impetus for the creation of an official Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1956.] Linda Darnell's performance in A Letter to Three Wives as Lora May Hollingsway was generally considered her greatest career role, but it was not nominated for an award. In fact, none of the members of the cast (Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain, Ann Sothern, or Paul Douglas) of A Letter to Three Wives received nominations, although director/writer Mankiewicz received two nominations and awards for the same film.

Ralph Richardson was nominated as Olivia de Havilland's heartless father in The Heiress, but he was also excellent and more impressive (but un-nominated) in his role as murder-implicated butler Baines in nominated director Carol Reed's British thriller The Fallen Idol. Although John Ford's second film in the 'cavalry trilogy' She Wore a Yellow Ribbon won the Oscar for its technicolor cinematography (Winton Hoch), John Wayne was un-nominated for his performance as Capt. Nathan Brittles. Robert Ryan was also un-nominated as Bill "Stoker" Thompson, an aging boxer who refused to throw a fight in Robert Wise's excellent and realistic boxing film The Set-Up (with no nominations). Broderick Crawford - IMDb IMDb Actor | Producer | Soundtrack Broderick Crawford is best remembered for two roles: his Oscar-winning turn as Willie Stark in All the King's Men (1949), and as Chief Dan Matthews on the syndicated TV series Highway Patrol (1955). He was also memorable as Judy Holliday 's boisterous boyfriend in Born Yesterday (1950).

He was born William Broderick Crawford on December 9, 1911, in ... See full bio » Born: a list of 40 people created 29 Jan 2012 a list of 29 people created 27 Sep 2013 a list of 350 people created 24 Jan 2015 a list of 25 people created 11 Apr 2015 a list of 33 people created 11 Nov 2015 Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Broderick Crawford's work have you seen? User Polls Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins. See more awards » Known For Highway Patrol Chief Dan Mathews / Dan Mathews (1955-1959) 1982 Simon & Simon (TV Series) Kern Barnett 1981 Fantasy Island (TV Series) Jake Dutton - Lillian Russell/The Lagoon (1981) ...

Jake Dutton 1981 Vega$ (TV Series) 1978 Flying High (TV Series) Willard 1975 Medical Story (TV Series) Joe Hudson 1974 Harry O (TV Series) John Mackenzie 1972 Night Gallery (TV Series) Joseph Fulton (segment "You Can't Get Help Like That Anymore") 1971 Cade's County (TV Series) Wes Novak 1971 A Tattered Web (TV Movie) Willard Edson 1970 The Challenge (TV Movie) Gen. Lewis Meyers 1970 Bracken's World (TV Series) Inspector Ed Harlow 1969 Love, American Style (TV Series) Francis Adams (segment "Love and the Dating Computer") 1969 Get Smart (TV Series) C. Errol Madre - The Mechanical Man (1969) ... Prof.

Gorn 1969 Ironside (TV Series) 1968 Cimarron Strip (TV Series) A-1 Joe Lehigh 1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) Walter 'Pop' Tullett 1965 The Rogues (TV Series) Amos Cavanaugh 1964 Burke's Law (TV Series) Milhew Court / Tristram Corporal / Hamilton Talbert / ... 1963 Arrest and Trial (TV Series) Grant Randolph 1963 The Virginian (TV Series) George Wolfe 1963 Kraft Mystery Theater (TV Series) Keyes 1958 Bat Masterson (TV Series) Sgt.

Foley 1955 Damon Runyon Theater (TV Series) Heine Schmitz 1955 Producers' Showcase (TV Series) Walter Reed 1953-1954 Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series) Joe Mitchell 1952-1953 Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) Socko Renard / David 1953 General Electric Theater (TV Series) Scott 1953 Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) Mike Dundee 1952 Stop, You're Killing Me (performer: "You're My Ever-Loving" - uncredited) 1949 Night Unto Night (performer: "Going to Shout All Over God's Heaven" - uncredited) Hide 1965 I'll Bet (TV Series) Himself 1964 The Celebrity Game (TV Series) Himself 1962 Here's Hollywood (TV Series) Himself 1953 Texaco Star Theatre (TV Series) Himself - Actor 1995 Biography (TV Series documentary) Willie Stark 1982 Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (TV Movie documentary) Actor - 'Born Yesterday' (

uncredited) 1953 Footlights Theater (TV Series) Lt.

Mike Fargo - Margin for Fair (1953) ... Lt. Mike Fargo Related Videos TV commercial: Canada Dry Ginger Ale See more » Publicity Listings: Did You Know? Personal Quote: My trademarks are a hoarse, grating voice and the face of a retired pugilist: small narrowed eyes set in puffy features which look as though they might, years ago, have lost on points. Trivia: Son of actress Helen Broderick and Lester Crawford . See more » Trademark: Probably best known for the "10-4" sign off on his patrol car radio in the TV series Highway Patrol (1955) of the '50s. See more » Nickname: Best Actor: Best Actor 1949: Broderick Crawford in All the King's Men Friday, 25 February 2011 Best Actor 1949: Broderick Crawford in All the King's Men Broderick Crawford won an Oscar from his only nomination for portraying Willie Stark in All The King's Men. All the King's Men is a somewhat effective but also lacking piece that takes a look at political corruption.

All the King's Men tells the story of a journalist (John Ireland) who follows the political career of Willie Stark. When we first see Stark he seems like a very soft spoken honest Joe who wants just to do what is right for the people. I frankly think Crawford actually honestly overdid the softness and naivety of Willie at the beginning of the film and frankly made him seem to nice, and modest. Crawford makes no indication at all that there is anything but good in Stark, who is passionate for the good of the people and nothing else. Old Willie though changes a little too rapidly when told that he is being used by the higher ups. He changes basically as soon as he finds out and changes to an very confidant passionate speaker who learns how to fiery up the people to vote for him. I will say Crawford gives the right passionate bluster to his speech and into the new Willie, but I find him changing into this far more confidant Willie lacks a proper transition. The film does not really give it enough time, but Crawford really failed to use the little time he really had to make it convincing. He also failed to show of hidden aspects of Willie beforehand in the earliest moments, due to the simple nice guy portrayal he did.

Willie Stark as soon as he becomes a knowledgeable confidant politician he seems to become a completely evil and manipulative one. I think Crawford and the film again are to blame, the film does force this instant transition, but also Crawford almost immediately begins to portray Willie in this evil fashion. Again a failed transition but this does lead to Crawford portrayal as the power hungry Stark. This is by far the best part and aspect of Crawford's performance one that he pretty much fully succeeds with. Crawford has the perfect manipulative command to Willie in his power hungry form. As he smiles gleefully of his new found power clearly enjoying it well. I also thought his smooth control over his sessions where he deals with his enemies are quite effective and believable. Crawford also keeps the right intensity of Willie who dislikes whenever anything is not going his way, again he keeps it smooth and builds his anger but hides in public in the proper slimy politician fashion. Now Crawford is almost perfect in as the evil Stark well when he is being actually evil, but I really did not entirely buy him as being seen as this great man by the public.

Crawford's speeches consists of angered rhetoric, and he lacked a charm in the role necessary I think for his character to completely fool the public in this way. Crawford does indeed put on a false show in public well enough, but I think he needed more charm and charisma to be fully convincing. I also think his many liaisons with many women has the same problem. Yes he is a powerful guy and they easily could be attracted to that, but the utter devotion seems a little hard to believe, due to the lack of charisma he shows especially in the scenes with the women. Crawford mostly did character work and perhaps that is what suited him best. If he only had to do the evil Willie in a Supporting character role his performance would have been brilliant, but since he is required to show so much with the character's changes and transition his performance falls short overall. His performance is lacking most of the time, but he still excels very well in specific moments. Posted by All The King's Men (1949) - Trailer - YouTube All The King's Men (1949) - Trailer Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video?

Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Nov 21, 2013 In a bravura performance, Broderick Crawford won the 1949 Academy Award(r) for Best Actor with his stunning portrayal of bull-headed, backwoods lawyer Willie Stark, in this powerful drama about political and personal corruption. A somber but realistic chronicle of raw, brutal power in force, ALL THE KING'S MEN is based on Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. It was brought to the screen in 1949 by producer Robert Rossen who also wrote the screenplay and directed thefilm. The story was inspired by the rise and fall of southern bigwig Huey Pierce Long, the infamous"Kingfish" who was Louisiana's governor and one-time senator. Long's cunning tactics of building public works during the depression to serve his own needs more than those of his constituents eventually brought about his own assassination in 1935.

A compelling story of a self-made, self-styled politician, it was politics that almost prevented Rossen from making ALL THE KING'S MEN in the first place when he was named by the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities in 1947 for having Communist sympathies. Rossen's denial of this to Columbia chief Harry Cohn enables him to continue work on the film; but his earlier radicalism eventually surfaced and Rossen made only one film (The Brave Bulls) in the next five years. Nonetheless, ALL THE KING'S MEN remains a hallmark political film with superbperformances throughout. John Ireland garnered an Academy Award(r) nomination for his role as Stark'stortured right-hand man, while Mercedes McCambridge won an Academy Award(r) for Best Supporting Actress as Sadie Burke, Stark's callous, conniving political aide. In addition, the film won an Academy Award(r) for Best Picture along with nominations for Directing, Writing and Film Editing. (Original Title - All The King's Men (1949)) © 1949, renewed 1977 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

License From the Archives: Broderick Crawford, Oscar Winner in 1949, Dies at 74 - LA Times From the Archives: Broderick Crawford, Oscar Winner in 1949, Dies at 74 Crawford Associated Press Broderick Crawford, left, Olivia de Havilland, Robert Rossen, Mercedes McCambridge and Dean Jagger at the 22nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony on March 23, 1950. Broderick Crawford, left, Olivia de Havilland, Robert Rossen, Mercedes McCambridge and Dean Jagger at the 22nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony on March 23, 1950. (Associated Press) Jerry CohenTimes Staff Writer Broderick Crawford, who won an Academy Award as best actor of 1949 for his role as a ruthless, scheming Southern political boss in "All the King's Men" but was better-known to recent generations as the beefy chief of television's "Highway Patrol," died Saturday at Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs. Crawford, 74, had suffered a series of strokes after one at a 1984 New Year's Eve party.

He had been hospitalized at the medical center since earlier this month. The gravel-voiced Crawford was comparatively unknown to film audiences at the time that he was chosen to portray the uncouth but guileful Willie Stark in the film version of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. He attracted rave reviews for his performance in what Life magazine called the "most exciting film to come out of Hollywood" that year. The movie, too, won an Academy Award as the best film of 1949. Crawford had made numerous films before "King's Men" and continued to make countless others afterwards, but he never again matched the critical acclaim he achieved in that movie, based loosely on the life of Huey Long, the populist governor of Louisiana and briefly a U.S. senator who was assassinated in 1935 in Baton Rouge. However, Crawford's greatest popularity came not as a film actor but as a television performer. From 1957 to 1967, he played the fast-talking Sgt.

Dan Matthews in "Highway Patrol." He later made two other television series, neither of which had the impact of the one in which his trademark was the expression "Ten-Four, Ten-Four," which in police talk means, "I understand." He was born William Broderick Crawford in Philadelphia, heir to an impressive theatrical tradition. His mother was the comedienne Helen Broderick, who first starred on the Broadway stage and later in films. His father, Lester Crawford, had a long career in vaudeville and sometimes toured with his wife as Broderick and Crawford. His maternal grandparents were singers. His parents did not raise their husky son to be an actor, even though he had a desultory grammar school education because he toured with one or the other--or both. Sent to Prep School Rather, the Crawfords sent the boy to a New England prep school, where he won letters in football and baseball and captained the swimming team. But upon his graduation, he joined his parents on a vaudeville tour and played minor parts in various sketches. They insisted, however, that he resume his education. He enrolled at Harvard—where he remained for three weeks until he decided that he was not suited to the academic life.

He moved to New York City, where he worked for a time as a stevedore, then spent about seven months as an able-bodied seaman aboard a tanker before obtaining occasional parts in radio dramas. After that he turned to the stage, where he had some minor successes before obtaining a role that presaged the film celebrity that he would enjoy a dozen years later after the filming of "All the King's Men." He created the role of the dimwitted Lennie in the 1937 theatrical version of John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men." The role in the film version of that drama went to Lon Chaney Jr., but Crawford moved to Hollywood anyway and played tough-guy roles in a series of B pictures and Westerns before joining the Army in 1942 and serving overseas as a sergeant for 18 months, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. After World War II, he returned to Hollywood and was active in much the same kind of films that he had made before joining the Army. When director-producer Robert Rosen was looking for an actor to play Willie Stark, he did not want a big box office star.

He opted for the powerfully built, raspy-voiced Crawford, who helped prepare for the part by studying newsreels and still photographs of Huey Long. "All the King's Men" and its principals received more than 30 awards, including the Academy Awards. Mercedes McCambridge, a radio actress in her first movie role, won an Oscar as best supporting actress. BlackCat Broderick Crawford (1911 - 1986) - Find A Grave Memorial Riverside County California, USA Academy Award-winning Actor. He was a classic example of "overnight success" in Hollywood. The 1949 release of "All the King's Men," turned him into one of the most popular character leads in Hollywood after winning the Best Actor Oscar and lead to his starring role in another hit film, "Born Yesterday" (1950). However, it was 10 years working in routine supporting roles in more than 20 films that lead to his Oscar triumph. He was born into a performing family � his mother, Helen Broderick, was a Broadway and film actress and his father, Lester Crawford, was a vaudeville performer.

Crawford traveled with his parents on tour as a child and later joined them on stage. He entered show business as an adult through vaudeville, joining his parents in working for producer Max Gordon. With the decline of vaudeville, Crawford entered Harvard College, but dropped out and went to work as a stevedore on the New York docks and later worked as a seaman on a tanker ship. He returned to acting through radio and made his Broadway debut in 1934 in the play "She Loves Me Not." After a string of unsuccessful plays, Crawford went to Hollywood and got a part as the butler in the comedy, "Woman Chases Man," produced by Samuel Goldwyn. Crawford's theatrical breakthrough came in 1937 when he played the half-witted Lennie in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". His performance won him critical acclaim, but the film role went to Lon Chaney, Jr. WWII intervened and Crawford served in the Army Air Corps and saw action in the Battle of the Bulge.

After the war, Crawford resumed his film career with a number of small, supporting roles, but got his big break when director-producer Robert Rossen selected him to portray Willie Stark in "All the King's Men." His portrayal of the megalomaniac political boss of a small state, based on the life of Louisiana Governor and Senator Huey Long, won Crawford the Oscar for Best Actor. He continued to work as a lead in a number of films into the 1950's, typically playing tough guy characters, and was one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the era to jump to television in 1955, when he signed with Ziv TV to do the syndicated series, Highway Patrol. The series ran for three seasons and was a success, but following Highway Patrol, Crawford was unable to get movies or roles of the same quality that he had been offered in the early 50's.

Crawford continued to work into the 1970's and one of his most memorable television appearances came in a 1977 episode of CHiPS, that played off of his role in Highway Patrol, with Crawford making a gag appearance as himself, being pulled over for a moving violation by the series' motorcycle officers. Crawford has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures and one for television. (bio by: Craig Johnson) Broderick Crawford Articles, Photos, and Videos - Los Angeles Times From the Archives: Broderick Crawford, Oscar Winner in 1949, Dies at 74 Broderick Crawford, who won an Academy Award as best actor of 1949 for his role as a ruthless, scheming Southern political boss in "All the King's Men" but was better-known to recent generations as the beefy chief of television's "Highway Patrol," died Saturday at Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs. Crawford, 74, had suffered a series of strokes after one at a 1984 New Year's Eve party. He had been hospitalized at the medical center since earlier this month.

The gravel-voiced Crawford was comparatively unknown to film audiences at the time that he was chosen to portray the uncouth but guileful Willie Stark in the film version of Robert Penn... Broderick Crawford - Biography - IMDb Broderick Crawford Biography Showing all 19 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (7) | Personal Quotes (1) Overview (5) 6' (1.83 m) Mini Bio (1) Broderick Crawford is best remembered for two roles: his Oscar-winning turn as Willie Stark in All the King's Men (1949), and as Chief Dan Matthews on the syndicated TV series Highway Patrol (1955). He was also memorable as Judy Holliday 's boisterous boyfriend in Born Yesterday (1950). He was born William Broderick Crawford on December 9, 1911, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Lester Crawford and Helen Broderick , two vaudeville performers. His mother eventually had a small movie career acting in comedies shot in Hollywood.

Her son, the large and burly Broderick Crawford, was no one's idea of a leading man due to his rough-and-tumble looks, but he broke through as an actor playing John Steinbeck 's simple-minded giant Lenny in the Broadway adaptation of Steinbeck's novella "Of Mice and Men". After his Broadway success, Crawford moved to Hollywood and made his cinema debut in the comedy Woman Chases Man (1937), in a supporting role to stars Joel McCrea and Miriam Hopkins . When producer-director Lewis Milestone was casting the movie version of Steinbeck's classic ( Of Mice and Men (1939)), he passed over Crawford and chose Lon Chaney Jr. to play Lenny. After many supporting roles (including a memorable turn as a big but kind-hearted lug in the comedy Larceny, Inc. (1942)) and a stint in the military during World War II, Crawford had his breakthrough role in Robert Rossen 's adaptation of Robert Penn Warren 's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "All the King's Men". Crawford gave a masterful performance as the Southern politician modeled on Louisiana's Huey Long .

In addition to the Oscar, he also won the New York Film Critics' Award as Best Actor. "All the King's Men" was a hit, as was "Born Yesterday" (Crawford replaced Paul Douglas , who had originated the role on Broadway, in this cast). However, he was unable to keep up his career due to typecasting as a crude, boorish brute. Five years after copping the Academy Award, TV producer Frederick W. Ziv hired Crawford to play the lead role in his syndicated police drama, "Highway Patrol". The show ran for four seasons, and imprinted Crawford's character of Dan Matthews into a generation of Baby Boomers' minds in its first and subsequent runs in syndication on the TV. After being moribund in the early 1950s, Crawford's career was revived, and he generally eschewed making movies for TV for the rest of his life. Broderick Crawford continued to act almost up until his death in Rancho Mirage, California, on April 26, 1986. He passed at the age of 74, after a series of strokes. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C.

Hopwood Spouse (3) ( 20 November 1940 - 19 August 1958) (divorced) (2 children) Trade Mark (2) Probably best known for the "10-4" sign off on his patrol car radio in the TV series Highway Patrol (1955) of the '50s. Machine gun delivery of dialogue in Born Yesterday (1950) and Highway Patrol (1955) Trivia (7) Son of actress Helen Broderick and Lester Crawford . Sons: Kelly and Kim. Father of Kelly G. Crawford Appeared on Broadway for the second (and last) time as "Lennie" in John Steinbeck 's "Of Mice and Men" in 1937, which established him as an actor. One of his co-stars was Will Geer . Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives." Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 210-211. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.

During World War 2, he was a regular radio announcer for the Armed Forces Network, introducing broadcasts of live musical performances for such artists as Glenn Miller 's Air Force Band.

Question: Broderick Crawford won an Oscar as best actor for his part in which 1949 film
Answer: All The King's Men